Just read Issue 25 - yay a four parter! It really shows too. They've taken some time to introduce a new character, spent some time on some character moments, designed a story to cover both of the classic TOS villains, and clearly have plenty of room to escalate the story.

It was nice to see a female engineer getting some development, although as a redshirt I can't help wondering how many days she has left to retirement - there is a sort of Peter Preston vibe about her. And Chekov has been promoted! Harry Kim must be very jealous.

The landing party was a good balance of genders and occupation: a commander, a doctor, a weapon specialist, and 2 security guards. Nice to see the Orion again and is that Janice in the background? I get a bit nervous when they stick a blonde on security duty. What I really want now is a recurring Andorian.

Looking forward to part 2. I hope this means that 4 parters are going to be mixed in with shorter stories on a regular basis.

It was nice to see a female engineer getting some development, although as a redshirt I can't help wondering how many days she has left to retirement - there is a sort of Peter Preston vibe about her.

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I haven't read the issue yet, only the preview. I'm waiting for the collection of all four, but I hope they don't kill her off, that would be predictable. Kirk and Spock both lost family members, it's time for some variety.

Oh, now I haven't actually read many of the comics because money is precious these days, so I'm wondering which of the previously released collections people would recommend, volume 4 with Keenser, Cupcake, and the MU, or 5 with all the backstory comics?

Oh, now I haven't actually read many of the comics because money is precious these days, so I'm wondering which of the previously released collections people would recommend, volume 4 with Keenser, Cupcake, and the MU, or 5 with all the backstory comics?

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I enjoyed both sets of stories. I guess it depends on if you're more curious about the main regulars' early days or Keenser and Cupcake?

I found the Keenser story to be a bit childishly insulting to 'disability' in the workplace (Keenser standing on a box to reach consoles) but the Hendorff story was by far the best one-shot in the series.

I found the Keenser story to be a bit childishly insulting to 'disability' in the workplace (Keenser standing on a box to reach consoles)

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Insulting to whom? Maybe it was insulting to the Starfleet designers, demonstrating their failure to design with accessibility in mind, but I think Keenser came off in a positive light and was able to adapt to his circumstances.

I found the Keenser story to be a bit childishly insulting to 'disability' in the workplace (Keenser standing on a box to reach consoles)

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Insulting to whom? Maybe it was insulting to the Starfleet designers, demonstrating their failure to design with accessibility in mind, but I think Keenser came off in a positive light and was able to adapt to his circumstances.

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Sorry, I meant insulting to disabled workers generally. I just found its approach to be blinkered and simplistic. In modern times employers are under an obligation to make reasonable alterations to the workplace to accommodate disabled employees. Many disabled workers are denied unlawfully jobs because employers don't want to make those accommodations.

It's a bit frustrating that Keenser's height was deemed to be worthy as a focus as to why he struggled to do his job when actually, after 6 months, his employer was under a duty to ensure that his workplace was adapted. Or give him a portable anti-grav step.

It just speaks to a level of ignorance in the writing; it's the kind of thing that frustrates disabled people that I know.

It was also silly that the engineers don't have robotic drones to go into crawl spaces that are too small for crewmen.

I'm sure there are many plausible reasons that able-bodied people might like to come up with to justify Scotty's lax approach to his colleague's needs but the story should have been, 'Keenser is a great engineer' with a focus on his personality instead of 'little people are a bit crap but they can be really useful sometimes'.

Sorry, I meant insulting to disabled workers generally. I just found its approach to be blinkered and simplistic. In modern times employers are under an obligation to make reasonable alterations to the workplace to accommodate disabled employees. Many disabled workers are denied unlawfully jobs because employers don't want to make those accommodations.

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Like I said, it reflects badly on Starfleet, but not so much on Keenser.

It's a bit frustrating that Keenser's height was deemed to be worthy as a focus as to why he struggled to do his job when actually, after 6 months, his employer was under a duty to ensure that his workplace was adapted. Or give him a portable anti-grav step.

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I find the timing rather ambiguous. I've heard -- and followed -- the suggestion that the story takes place before the end of the 2009 movie, while the ship is being repaired prior to the final scene.

It just speaks to a level of ignorance in the writing; it's the kind of thing that frustrates disabled people that I know.

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That's a fair point. It does annoy me that Starfleet ships are designed in such a human-centric way (and typically-proportioned human at that) rather than accommodating the range of diverse body types that aliens would have.

I'm sure there are many plausible reasons that able-bodied people might like to come up with to justify Scotty's lax approach to his colleague's needs but the story should have been, 'Keenser is a great engineer' with a focus on his personality instead of 'little people are a bit crap but they can be really useful sometimes'.

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I didn't get that sense from the story at all. I felt it was sympathetic to Keenser's frustrations being a small person in a world that wasn't designed with his needs in mind, while making it quite clear that he was just as worthy of respect as anyone else.

It does annoy me that Starfleet ships are designed in such a human-centric way (and typically-proportioned human at that) rather than accommodating the range of diverse body types that aliens would have.

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I recall the little dossier on TMP's Rhaandarites that suggested that Billy Van Zandt's ensign character was "78 years young" (thus "Alien Boy" in the credits), and that mature Rhaandarites could be well over eight feet tall. Adult Rhaandarites probably wouldn't have a hope of serving on regular starships. It intrigued me in my fanfics in the 80s, and I recall you addressed adult Rhaandarite heights in your recent DTI novels.

Remember Security Officer Sterno, in PAD's ST comics, who couldn't even fit into a comic panel with his colleagues? I didn't even notice the way they drew him until about my fourth rereading.

I felt it was sympathetic to Keenser's frustrations being a small person in a world that wasn't designed with his needs in mind, while making it quite clear that he was just as worthy of respect as anyone else.

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Me too.

I guess they could have given him an antigrav platform (like seen in TMP). I don't recall; was it just a regular box? A 12-pack of canned tomatoes?

All good points. I suppose it irritates me because the needs of the disabled are very often an afterthought in the modern world and in this story the same was true again. It also plays into my general frustration that Keenser is a senior officer (and in STiD it looks like he might be the assistant chief) but he is consistently portrayed as a dogsbody. If they just want him to be a light comedy relief then stick to that. If they want him to also be a senior officer, they should also portray him as such instead of just calling him one and portraying him like a junior officer or crewman with cutting one worders and mild comedy antics.

If they just want him to be a light comedy relief then stick to that. If they want him to also be a senior officer, they should also portray him as such instead of just calling him one and portraying him like a junior officer or crewman with cutting one worders and mild comedy antics.

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I know you're talking about Keenser... but it sounds like you're talking about NuScotty...